The present invention relates in general to data processing systems, and in particular, to a mechanism for tracking routine dependencies in data processing system software.
It is commonplace in the data processing art for software to be written in a modular structure. The tasks which the software performs are typically embodied in a set of subtasks which, depending on the development environment, may be referred to as procedures, functions, methods, subroutines or events. An event is a particular software routine that receives user interactions via standard user interface devices. Although, again depending on the development system, these may have different connotations, for the purposes of the present invention they will be collectively referred to as routines.
A complex software program which may be typical of the complex tasks performed by modem data processing systems may include a multitude of such procedures. Moreover, routines typically refer to other routines, whereby a hierarchical structure results. In a sophisticated software product, a complex hierarchical, or nested, chain of routine references may result. Tracking this hierarchical chain of dependencies as a development of a software program progresses, may be difficult. Additionally, maintenance of the product, which may be performed by persons other than the developers, may also be complicated by the complex hierarchical structure. Thus, there is a need in the art for a mechanism to track and display the cross referencing of procedures in data processing software, thereby allowing the programmer to have knowledge of the calling and called routines that will be affected if changes are applied to any given routine.
The aforementioned needs are addressed by the present invention. Accordingly, there is provided, in a first form, a method of cross-referencing routines. The method includes the step of searching a program file for routine declarations, and entering a routine identifier in a first table in response to a corresponding routine declaration. Each routine corresponding to the routine identifier is searched for routine calls in response to the routine identifier.
There is also provided, in a second form, data processing system circuitry operable for searching a program file for routine declarations. The data processing system also includes circuitry operable for entering a routine identifier in a first table in response to a corresponding routine declaration, and circuitry operable for searching for routine calls in each routine in response to each routine identifier.
Additionally, there is provided, in a third form, a computer program product operable for storage on program storage media, the program product operable for cross-referencing software routines. The program product includes programming for searching a program file for routine declarations. Also included is programming for entering a routine identifier in a first table in response to a corresponding routine declaration, and programming for searching for routine calls in each routine in response to each routine identifier.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.